Finding your Chalet in the Snow—Home Exchange for Skiers

by Deren Monday on March 3, 2014

Yes, there is now a home exchange agency focusing on those lucky folks with cabins, chalets, or condos in ski country. Snowswappers.com is an attractive option for winter sports enthusiasts who would like to explore the world.

This kind of specialized site might appeal because it is a quick and easy way to trade your winter hideaway with a similar property. The listing format includes specific information for skiers—proximity to the lifts and often a detailed description. One assumes almost all Snowswapper places are second homes. This means members are available for non-simultaneous swaps, so finding compatible dates is much easier.

You could use a traditional home exchange agency to find a ski holiday swap, but it wouldn’t be quick and easy. My house is only 90 minutes from a large ski resort but you would have to work hard to discover this fact. Offering us your winter palace would be a waste of time because snow and holiday are mutually exclusive concepts in our worldview. You can be assured that every member of Snowswappers loves winter and cold weather. At the moment most of their listings are in the French Alps.

Here is a promotional blurb from Laura Willing on behalf of Snowswappers:

Snow Swappers are a home swapping club specifically for ski-home owners in ski resorts. It all began when two home-owning sisters from Chamonix, France, were looking for cost effective ways to ski in other areas. Skiing holidays no longer need to be so expensive – they are offering you the chance to stay in amazing places, for free. For the first time, homeowners in ski resorts can expand their ski obsession in a most unique way.

They offer a huge variety of beautiful homes in 11 different countries from New Zealand to Chile, Switzerland, Russia and Japan. Each listing includes photographs, essential ski knowledge, resort information and a property description along with a special section specifically for owner’s swapping wishes. If you like what you see, Snow Swappers will connect you with a fellow home owner and you can start the swap conversation from there. What’s more, it is currently free to join!

So whether you live in a resort year round or just use it as a 2nd home, you’re sure to want the chance to ski elsewhere once in a while. Perhaps you’re curious about the huge mountains, endless motorway pistes and limitless powder fields of British Columbia or maybe you fancy skiing in Japan? American home swappers may love the idea of traditional

wooden chalets, Alpine hospitality and the infamous European après ski culture. As with other home exchanges, Snow Swapping allows you to live like a local in your chosen destination. Get all the insider information from the homeowners and share all you know with your swap partner – this means you won’t waste any time skiing like a tourist. You’ll know the best slopes and the best restaurants to try before you even get there.

So expand your ski obsession and join the home swap phenomenon, there is a whole world of opportunities on your doorstep.